Participating in the meeting were delegates from Airports of Thailand, Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP), Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Finance.

The meeting approved in principle the creation of the certify hub to position Thailand as a regional air cargo hub and assigned the OTP to liaise with related agencies to push the project forward.

Among the OTP’s tasks are to propose the project to the Cabinet, oversee operations by related agencies, determine investment budget, manage human resources and work plans, determine the project time frame, and study other related issues to ensure the project’s objectives are realized.

Land dev’t around U-Tapao airport

Meanwhile, development plans for the area around U-Tapao International Airport, a joint civil-military public airport serving the cities of Rayong and Pattaya, continue.

The deputy governor of Thailand’s Rayong province, Yuthapol Ongarjittichai, has chaired the second forum on the project to discuss ideas collected on a draft land usage plan, a development masterplan, and transport and basic facilities systems as well as to hear further views from local figures.

Baan Chang district, which surrounds U-Tapao Airport and is located in the westernmost part of Rayong province in eastern Thailand, is to be modernized to support residents, tourists, and investors traveling to and from the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).

The plan is to be carried out in three phases: the short, medium, and long term. Initial work will focus on transport and basic facilities, and the creation of a smart city to serve as an international hub for tourism and marine sports as well as to be a logistics hub. For the medium and long term, roads will be constructed to ensure better access to the area.

Since both of Bangkok’s international airports are operating beyond capacity, U-Tapao in particular is being eyed as an alternate international gateway due to its relative proximity to the capital, with the area surrounding it planned for modernization.